Following a 5-year plan the greens are now all fescue with a small amount of bent mix

A program of revetting all greenside bunkers is almost completed and will be finished this winter

A program to control ryegrass, especially on approaches fairways and semi-roughs is ongoing and over seeding with a fescue

Tralee Golf Club Course Review

Tralee’s rise to worldwide fame is testament to what can be achieved if you dream big. Until 1984, it played over a modest nine-holer north-west of the Kerry town; since 1984 it has played over a stunning layout above the beach at West Barrow eight miles away.

That the new course was Arnold Palmer’s first European design was the icing on the cake, though Palmer was quick to credit the Almighty with the back-nine handiwork.

He’s right, it is a truly divine stretch which will have you torn between disbelief, amazement and sheer unbridled joy.

The back nine is the more dramatic overall, although the 2nd and 3rd ensure it doesn’t have it all its own way – first an awe-inspiring 600-yarder doglegging round the cliffs, then a daunting par 3 on the very edge of the rocky shoreline.

But the homeward stretch gets in among the tallest dunes, with the 12th and 13th playing lead to an all-star cast.

The fearsome 12th demands unerring precision along its entire length, while the par 3 that follows bridges a vast, lush chasm that should encourage you to club up!

By the time you make the final turn for home on the modest par-5 finale, your game may well have run aground if the breeze gets up.

But you will have enjoyed every minute, and won’t be the first to suffer such a fate, for many a ship has gone down along this coast, including one from the Spanish Armada in 1588.

Golf Monthly Newsletters

Please keep me up to date with special offers and news from Golf Monthly and other brands within the Time Inc. UK Group by email. You can unsubscribe at any time.

We'd also like to send you special offers and news just by email from other carefully selected companies we think you might like. Your personal details will not be shared with those companies - we send the emails and you can unsubscribe at any time. Please tick here if you are happy to receive these messages.